The 2012 League of Ireland First Division season was the 28th season of the League of Ireland First Division. The First Division was contested by 8 teams and Limerick won the title.
Teams
Team Location Manager Stadium Athlone Town Athlone Mike Kerley Athlone Town Stadium Finn Harps Ballybofey Peter Hutton Finn Park Limerick Limerick Pat Scully Jackman Park Longford Town Longford Tony Cousins Flancare Park Mervue United Galway Johnny Glynn Fahy's Field SD Galway Galway Tony Mannion Terryland Park Waterford United Waterford Paul O'Brien Waterford RSC Wexford Youths Wexford Shane Keegan Ferrycarraig Park
Overview Due to the expansion of the Premier Division, coupled with the withdrawal of Galway United during the off-season, the 2012 First Division consisted of just eight teams. Applications to join the Division from Cobh Ramblers and Tralee Dynamos, both of whom had played in the 2011 A Championship, were rejected. Each team played every other team four times, totalling twenty eight games.
Final table
Results
Matches 1–14
Matches 15–28
Promotion/relegation play-off The second and third placed First Division teams, Waterford United and Longford Town, played off to decide who would play Dundalk, the eleventh placed team from the Premier Division. The winner of this play off would play in the 2013 Premier Division. First Division
Waterford United win 3–1 on aggregate First Division v Premier Division
Dundalk win 4–2 on aggregate and retained their place in the Premier Division. Waterford United appealed the result of the playoff, claiming Michael Rafter was ineligible as Dundalk had incorrectly registered him when they signed him earlier that season. However the appeal was unsuccessful.
Top scorers RankScorerClubGoals1 Danny FurlongWexford Youths13 Kevin McHughFinn Harps13 Sean MaguireWaterford United134 Tom ElmesWexford Youths115 Shane TracyLimerick10 Rory GaffneyLimerick10
See also 2012 League of Ireland Premier Division 2012 League of Ireland Cup
References